THE CONQUEST OF DISEASE 



by means of animal experimentation. Since 

 the cause of the disease has been found, it is 

 now known that a large proportion of the 

 cases formerly regarded as diphtheria were not 

 diphtheria but a form of tonsilitis that was non- 

 contagious. Diphtheria within the memory of 

 most men was the mortal dread of mothers. 

 The diagnosis of the disease is now made early 

 and treatment promptly instituted. Prior to 

 the discovery of the cause, diphtheria was on 

 the increase on account of the increasing den- 

 sity of population. But as soon as it became 

 possible to recognize the disease early and to 

 distinguish true from false diphtheria, the mor- 

 tality began to decrease. In 1883, the year be- 

 fore the positive diagnosis of diphtheria was 

 possible, in the largest eighteen cities in 

 Europe and America, 97 in every 100,000 of 

 the populations died of diphtheria. In 1893 

 this mortality in the same cities was 81. In 

 1894 the mortality was 79. Then antitoxin 

 was introduced, and in 1904 the mortality from 

 diphtheria in these cities had been reduced to 

 20. Thus it is seen that two great causes have 

 combined to cut down the mortality of this 

 dreadful disease to less than one-fourth of 

 what it had been. 



76 



